There was no phone number or website address. Just a cryptic Yahoo email address.

Here are the top 5 questions you must ask yourself if you use a free email address for your business:

1. How are potential customers suppose to remember a random sequence of letters for an email address? (Especially if they are driving down the street)

2. What does a free @yahoo.com email address say about your business? Hint: It says cheap.

3. Are you missing an opportunity to build your brand presence online? That email address could just as easily have been a memorable and relevant domain name like JenkinsElectrical.com.

4. What happens if your free email host disappears? Poof! There go all your business emails.

5. What does a free email address say about your professionalism? Please do your business a favor and buy a relevant domain name. Think of this from the customer’s perspective. A free email address could mean you are only a temporary business that may not be there to support the customer post-sale.

Solution: Buy a domain name and set up a website. Get custom [email protected] email addresses and put up that professional online presence your potential customers will trust.